What is VATS?

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a type of surgery for diagnosing and treating many conditions affecting the chest area (thorax). It is done using a thin tube with a tiny video camera at the end (thoracoscope). 这是一种微创手术. That means it uses smaller cuts (incisions) than traditional open surgery (1 large incision). One common reason to do VATS is to remove part of a lung because of cancer.

你有两个肺:右肺和左肺. These lungs connect to your mouth and nose through a series of tubes. 肺部通过这些管道将氧气输送到体内. 它们将二氧化碳从体内排出. 你身体的所有功能都需要氧气. Carbon dioxide is a waste product that your body needs to get rid of. Most people can get by with having part of a lung removed if needed. Often, the remaining lung tissue can provide enough oxygen and remove enough carbon dioxide.

During VATS, your surgeon makes several small cuts on the chest wall. The provider puts the tiny tube with the video camera and other small tools through these cuts. 他们可能会用这些工具切除部分肺, 排出肺里的液体, 或者在心脏或其他部位做手术.

You may recover more quickly after VATS than with the traditional open surgery method. Healthcare providers can use VATS to do many procedures that used to need traditional open surgery.

Why might I need VATS?

Healthcare providers use VATS for many different conditions affecting the thorax. 这些疾病包括肺部和心脏疾病. You might need VATS to remove a small part of the tissue if you have cancer (biopsy). Your healthcare provider might use VATS to biopsy part of the lung, the lymph nodes, 肺周围的组织, 心脏周围的组织, 或者食物管道(食道).

Healthcare providers can use VATS to remove part or all of an organ. For example, your provider might need to remove part or all of a lung because of traumatic injury, infection, or cancer. VATS is also used to remove part or all of the esophagus or the thymus. 这通常是因为癌症.

心脏手术可以使用VATS. These include atrial fibrillation ablation, pacemaker lead placement, and mitral valve repair.

许多其他程序也使用增值税. These include:

• 排出肺的一部分(如感染时)

• 引流脓液感染(脓肿)

• Draining fluid from around the heart (as in infection or inflammation)

• 去除肺上的限制性纤维组织

• 做手术防止反复胸腔积液

• 手术治疗胃食管疾病

• 治疗先天性胸壁问题

• 治疗膈肌麻痹或疝

增值税有哪些风险?

很多有VATS的人都做得很好. 但也有一些可能的并发症. Some of these are:

• Air leak

• 肺穿孔(穿刺)

• Abnormal heart rhythms

• Excess bleeding

• Pneumothorax (a collection of air outside the lung but within the pleural cavity, 肺周围的空间)

• 部分或全部肺塌陷(肺不张)

• 肺炎(肺部感染)

• 胸腔积液(脓胸)

• Wound infection

• 血凝块(可导致肺栓塞或中风)

• Shock

• 麻醉并发症

Your age, 其他健康问题, and the reason for your VATS will help determine your risk for different complications. Before your surgery, ask your healthcare provider about your specific risks.

如何为增值税做准备?

Ask your healthcare provider about what you need to do to get ready for your VATS. In general:

• You may need to stop taking certain medicines before the surgery, such as blood thinners. Talk with your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, 包括非处方药, herbs, and any supplements.

• 如果你吸烟，你需要在手术前戒烟. 向您的医疗保健提供者寻求资源来帮助您.

• 日常锻炼是准备的重要组成部分. 询问你的医疗保健提供者哪种最适合你.

• You might need to do breathing exercises with a device called a spirometer.

• Follow all directions you are given for taking your medicines and not eating or drinking before your surgery.

Your healthcare provider might need tests to see how well your lungs are working. They may also want to check your overall health before your surgery. 这些将在一定程度上取决于您的增值税的原因. 其中一些可能包括:

• 胸部x光检查心脏和肺部

• 胸部CT扫描或核磁共振成像，以获得更详细的肺部图像

• PET扫描来寻找癌组织

• 用心电图检查心律

• 肺功能测试看你的肺功能如何

• 验血检查整体健康状况

Any hair over the surgical area may be removed before the surgery.

What happens during VATS?

Ask your healthcare provider about what to expect during your VATS. In general:

• 你可能需要抗生素来预防感染.

• 手术开始前，你将被全身麻醉. This will make you sleep deeply and painlessly during the surgery. 之后你就不会记得了.

• 手术需要几个小时.

• Your surgeon will clean the area to be operated on with an antiseptic solution. 然后他们会在你的胸壁上割几刀.

• The surgeon puts a thin tube with a tiny video camera (thoracoscope) through 1 of these incisions.

• The surgeon puts other small tools through other small incisions, as needed to do the procedure.

• 你的外科医生会做必要的手术. For instance, they may remove part or all of a lung or other organ.

• 如果你因为癌症需要切除部分肺, 你的外科医生可能也会切除一些淋巴结. These can help show if the cancer has spread and how advanced it might be.

• Once the procedure is done, the camera and other tools will be removed.

• 你的外科医生会通过手术缝合胸部切口. A bandage will be applied.

What happens after VATS?

Ask your healthcare provider about what to expect after your VATS. In general:

• When you wake up, you might feel sleepy or drowsy and confused at first. You might wake up a few hours after the surgery, or a little later.

• You will be hooked up to several machines so the medical staff can carefully watch your heart rate and other vital signs.

• 你可以通过放在鼻子里的小管子获得氧气. 这通常是短期的(暂时的).

• 你会感到有些酸痛或疼痛. 但是你不应该感到剧烈的疼痛. 疼痛控制很重要. 如果你需要，你可以要止痛药.

• You will likely have a chest tube to help collect fluid from your lungs. 在你出院前会把它取出来的.

• You will use a device (spirometer) that encourages you to breathe deeply to prevent an infection from developing.

• You may wear special compression stockings to help prevent blood clots.

• 你可能需要在医院住几天.

你出院后

• 确保有人开车送你回家. 你在家里也需要一些帮助.

• You will likely have your stitches or staples removed in a follow-up appointment. 遵守所有的后续预约.

• 手术后你可能很容易疲劳. 但你会慢慢恢复体力的. 你可能需要几个星期才能完全康复.

• 你需要每天起来散步几次.

• Ask your healthcare provider when it will be safe for you to drive.

• 几个星期内不要搬动重物.

• Follow all the instructions your healthcare provider gives you for medicine, exercise, diet, and wound care.

• Call your healthcare provider right away if you have trouble breathing, any signs of infection, fever, swelling, 或者疼痛越来越严重. 从你的切口流出少量液体是正常的. 如果分泌物过多或出血，请告诉医生.

Next steps

Before you agree to the test or the procedure, make sure you know:

• 测试或程序的名称

• 你进行测试或程序的原因

• 期待什么样的结果?它们意味着什么

• 测试或程序的风险和益处

• 可能的副作用或并发症是什么

• 你在何时何地进行测试或程序

• Who will do the test or procedure and what that person’s qualifications are

• 如果你不做检查或不做手术会怎么样

• 有没有其他的测试或程序可以考虑

• 何时以及如何得到结果

• Who to call after the test or procedure if you have questions or problems, 包括下班时间、周末和节假日.

• 你需要支付多少检查费用